Dodge Challenger SRT 392: In a league of its own

There’s one moment in my 3000-mile journey in the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT 392 when I wish to be in a different vehicle. That vehicle? The pickup truck coming the other way, running on ridiculously outsized tires which give it a 2-ft ground clearance. The moment? As I approach a lake where once had been visible the US-84.

I roll to a halt, deflated by dilemma. It’s 3 a.m., the clouds have ripped open like the skin of the Hindenburg and have devastated the central-Texas road network below. I’ve put more than 1,000 miles under the wheels of the Challenger in about 14.5 hours, stopping only for gas, coffee and the inevitable. (Not even the SRT’s option list includes a catheter). Now, on this unlit – and, to me, unknown – stretch of highway, I can’t tell if the glossy

black sheen reflecting my car’s headlights is the surface of two inches or two feet of flood water. Nor can I see if it gets deeper further along, nor can I see where it ends.

Or if it ever will. The rain is unstoppable, the edge of the road indistinguishable, my confidence imperceptible.

And so I chicken it, throw a U-turn and stop. In three hours, it’s going to be light – more visual aids, more traffic by which to judge the depth of the water. The parking lot outside one of those charmless but useful AmPm stores is home for a sleepy writer and his precious car. Unable to escape the pinky-orange glow of the adjacent Arco gas station, I nonetheless nod off while wondering how the hell Kerouac made these kinds of scenes sound aspirational.

As with most predicaments in life, I have no one but myself to blame. I’m drawn to the modern-era muscle cars like TMZ is to meaningless gossip. This is only the fourth Challenger SRT I’ve driven, but I’ve made sure to use each one as Dodge intended – a lot and with enthusiasm – and every step on its evolutionary path has been an improvement.

Growing the engine from 370 to 392 cu.in. in 2011 added 45 horsepower and 90lb-ft of torque, neatly bringing each figure to 470. Not only was this new unit both rev-happier and more flexible, it was fitted to a car with better longitudinal and lateral body control as well as beefier steering. Then, with the same engine in the some-toys-

deleted Core Edition, there was another forward but diagonal step toward track-day potential; the body roll was further contained, the dampers were slightly firmer and it was an impressive $5k cheaper.

But the 2015 Challenger makes as big a step forward as the ’11 model because it mates a further 15hp increase to the long-awaited – let’s be honest, long-needed – eight-speed automatic. The old five-speed auto unit was tough but also rough; large steps between ratios meant upchanges let the revs fall too far when gassing it, and the clunky downchanges defeated a driver’s attempts to be smooth when braking from high speed. This was true in the SRT models of the Challenger, Charger and Chrysler 300, but at least the Challenger had the option (in my case, always taken) of the six-speed manual. Meanwhile, Hemi addicts could only look yearningly at the eight-speed autos given to V6 variants of each of these models from late 2012…

But now that Dodge’s eight-speed TorqueFlite has proven ready, willing and able to handle the supercharged, super-crazy, superlative-inducing 707 horsepower Hellcat versions of Challenger and Charger, the 485hp of the SRT should be nothing to get in a twist about. Nevertheless, I wondered in advance if, with three extra ratios, the car would miss the point of having all that torque and start changing down on even slight inclines. It’s an audibly annoying trait that ruined the first eight-speed car I ever drove and I’ve been wary ever since.

Worries are alleviated within a few miles of the RACER offices – a long shallow gradient and, even in fully auto form, the car stays in eighth. Good. Of course, switching to the semi-auto mode and utilizing the paddle-shifters as I do 90 percent of the time means the question marks are eliminated altogether as the car just does what it’s told. And the cog-swaps themselves? In Normal setting (more of which later) upshifts are crisp, swift and gentle while downshifts are refined yet still provide enough engine braking that you can avoid dabbing the six-piston Brembos, even on decreasing-radius turns.

The 2015 changes to the engine are subtle; to the auto transmission, substantial; and the interior upgrades match the latter. Not a moment too soon, either. The original new-era Challenger (2008) had a cabin dominated by an austere and angular cliff of endless gray up front, and through ensuing years, silver-painted plastic alleviated but didn't eradicate the perception that cabin appeal had been an afterthought. Mercifully, that’s all changed now. While retaining pleasing retro hints (dials in particular), the architecture of the dashboard has pretty much everything curved towards the driver and it’s bright and clear, day or night, with easy-to-read dials and easy-to-comprehend controls. This time around, Dodge put a lot of thought into modernizing the Challenger's interior to make it more inviting to existing drivers and more impressive to potential customers. Perhaps there were lessons learned from designing and building the luxurious Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

If that last comment makes the Challenger SRT sound a bit soft, it’s worth remembering that it's not in the same class as Ford’s Mustang or Chevrolet’s Camaro. This is a bigger car all around, and so automotive magazines’ regular comparisons between the three are driven only by their retro names/looks/heritage. The Challenger is a genuine 2+2, its back seat capable of carrying two smallish people on a longish journey. Try the same in a Mustang or Camaro, and you should expect a call from Amnesty.

Dodge leaves blatant clues that it’s set different priorities for Challenger drivers than GM and Ford did for their retro-hungry customers. Those clues are called “dimensions.” A Challenger is 198 inches long with a 116-inch wheelbase – measurements that are respectively 10 and nine inches greater than a Mustang. In terms of trunk space, the Camaro has 11.3 cu. ft., the Mustang 13.5, the Challenger 16.2. And Dodge occupants are also provided more generous head, leg and shoulder room.

These observations aren’t implied criticisms of Camaro and Mustang: my point is, for people to then moan that the Dodge is 450lbs heavier than the GM and Ford equivalents-which-aren’t-equivalents, seems as facile and foolish as complaining that your 1,000cc bike isn’t as nimble as your 500cc one. Like, duh…

A less obvious fact about the Challenger’s roomy interior is that it’s comfortable to sleep there, and I only awake as comings and goings outside signal dawn is underway. There’s still plenty of rain, but it’s eased a little. The

cloud layer is still solid but from 93 million miles away, the sun is at last turning ominous stratocumulus from black to gray. Gobs of coffee and throbs of Hemi have a similar effect on the soul. Time to go.

And yes, that floodwater is deep. Not as deep as I’d blindly feared a few hours earlier, but deep enough for me to seek the crown of the road, only veering off into the rocker-panel-high depths at the approach of an oncoming vehicle. These conditions induce the traction control system – which, as with any car, automatically switches back on when you fire the engine – into working overtime, even though I’m surfing along at a mere 45mph. Rather than put up with this confusing sensory overload, I turn it off and instead zero in on the tail of a big-rig cruising at 55. With the Challenger’s 275/40/ZR20s running in the channels cut by the tires of the semi ahead and with the gearbox solidly in top to avoid wheelspin should the car go light, I have a good and faithful automotive companion once more.

As the highway surface resurfaces and I can set my own pace, I go back to simply enjoying the Challenger SRT and reflect on its maturation over the past six years. One of the things I’ve respected about Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep this century is that the quest for new customers has never led to neglect of existing ones. For example, the SoCal LX forum (held here in Irvine, Calif.) – where an ’04 Dodge Magnum is as welcome as a brand-new Chrysler 300C – is almost always attended by SRT senior veep Ralph Gilles and other management staff from Auburn Hills, MI. And that same determination to establish brand loyalty is also apparent in Dodge’s decision to not update the Challenger’s externals every year. It’s a policy I wish was followed by more manufacturers: leaving your existing customers to drive around in cosmetically out-of-date cars, just 12 months after they’ve pledged five figures of hard-earned to your company, has always struck me as inconsiderate.

To this end, there have been very few touch-ups to the Challenger’s appearance since it came into production; the focus instead has been on increasing the number of models and options, hence the car’s sales improvements year on year, 2008-’13. Finally, however, the alterations for the 2015 model are significant enough to be noticed by even the casual onlooker.

The strip of tail lights that paid homage to the ’69/’70/’71 Challenger has been replaced by LED units set in a black panel, that more subtly evokes the ’72-’74 models. The front grille, however, has moved on from echoing ’69/’70 cars to closely resembling the ’71 model year, with two distinct inset frames – silver on some models, black on others – between the quad HID halo headlamps. Perhaps even more noticeable is that the old SRT hood, with two rearward-set vents on either side of the bulge, has been passed down to its less powerful siblings, and the new SRT hood acquires the prominent and functional central scoop of the Hellcat model.

So “facelift” is too strong a word; let’s say the Challenger has had new war-paint tastefully applied but has retained its unique and special identity. Oddly enough for a machine so distinctive and unapologetically retro, it doesn’t seem to polarize opinion; it just attracts favorable comments. Maybe even people disinterested in cars have gotten tired of seeing Jaguar XF copy-Cats filling our roads.

Unappreciated by the uninitiated is that the Challenger’s throwback metalwork and Hemi-wor

k are only part of its appeal in 2015. There’s plenty of up-to-date technology within, and praise should be lavished in particular on Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s Uconnect infotainment system, which is operated via the 8.4” touchscreen on the center console. The screen itself is responsive without being oversensitive, and this easy functionality applies also to the uncomplicated symbols, buttons…and ability to go back a stage if you screw up. (Speaking of reverse, this screen also reveals what’s behind you via the SRT's standard-fit backup camera.)

Perhaps most impressive is the voice command facility for the Bluetooth phone hookup, which actually comprehends the driver’s contact request. Forgive my emphasis on such an innocent joy. Recently I experienced a car with a more primitive voice-activated phone system that seemed only to understand when I swore at it. Consequently, “Mother” received five inadvertent calls within three minutes.

The Dodge’s touchscreen also provides control over luxury items such as the heated/ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, 18-speaker Harman Kardon stereo and dual-zone temperature controls. But more interesting to RACER readers will be the configurable driving mode which, between Normal, Sport and Track, alters the Challenger’s damper settings, steering weight, throttle response and gearbox behavior, making the SRT tauter and more responsive. Operated as a semi-auto, the difference in upchanges is readily apparent – they're said to take 160 milliseconds in Track mode – yet the downchanges seem even more vigorous. However, unless your journey is blessed with roads as smooth as a pool table, the dampers in Track mode should be left for… wait, you guessed it – the track.

The long barren stretches of the I-40 provide plenty of room to not only experiment with gadgets, but also extend the engine a little. Not for the first time on this trip, my heart melts a little at the Hemi's combination of basso profundo and a pleasingly hard, metallic edge to its alto as it approaches the 6,400rpm redline. Given that the SRT has a 0-60mph time of little more than four seconds, 0-100mph in 10sec, and could go on to a top speed of 175mph, my behavior is relatively restrained. Still, I can’t deny knowledge of those figures induces a grin, even 1,000 miles into the return leg of a journey to Austin, Tx., and even when, with approximately half as many miles still to go, potency is less of a priority than winding down windows, turning up Sirius XM and focusing hard on the road ahead.

In those circumstances, you increasingly appreciate the Challenger SRT’s ability to switch between manic and

mild. The well-damped electric steering is accurate and has just enough feedback at speed, the seat base of the Recaros are more comfortable than the chairs found in the Jeep SRT, the suspension soaks up asphalt acne, and the V8 goes into Hemi-demi mode, cutting the spark to four cylinders to allow 24mpg at a steady 80mph. Theoretically, that would extract 444 miles from the Challenger’s 18.5-gallon tank…if you’re prepared to push your luck. If, like me, you can never remember which gas stations are open at stupid o’clock, you’d be smart to stop at any opportunity once the fuel gauge needle is much nearer E than F.

Crossing the state line from Arizona into California provides an adrenaline boost of false hope, because there’s still four and a bit hours to go. The Challenger is now so bug-spattered that I doubt its central “eye” – containing the gizmos for its optional adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning – would even work. No matter, I’m in no mood to find out; this car is all about involving, not insulating, its driver, and that interaction is exactly what I need at 2 a.m. after 17 straight hours on the road. It’s a struggle to think of any other modern car that possesses enough inbuilt allure to hold my concentration so long while also avoiding the tiring traits, discomforts and dysfunctions of a genuine supercar.

Rumbling into the RACER parking lot at an hour too late for bed but too early for the office, I’m mildly peeved to realize that an extra stop in the final 150 miles – ostensibly to down a couple of coffees but also to marvel at the puréed insect collage across the Challenger’s front air-dam – extended the journey to 21.5 hours and thus knocked my average speed below 70. Still, 69-point-something isn’t bad.

Annoyance gives way to head-numbing fatigue almost as soon as the rumbling motor shuts off. The immediate and deafening silence that follows is penetrated only by distant ticks and pings from the engine bay, but in terms of dissipation, Hemi heat is slower by far than driver adrenaline. For the second time in five

days, I’m about to enjoy a Dodge-enclosed doze; for the second time in five days, I have to admit this machine is far mightier, far more tireless, than the human inside. I have just enough mental capacity to figure out that I’ve now driven more than 8,000 miles in V8 Dodge Challengers, and that familiarity has bred…Nope, too tired to think of an antonym for contempt…

Esteem! That’s the word I summon when I wake 90 minutes later, although I’m not sure even “high esteem” does justice to the bond that’s been formed here. The next day, refreshed and thinking more rationally, I turn to the Challenger's spec sheet and it’s the extreme value for money that hits hardest. Our car’s base price was under $45,000, and even with a few optional tech goodies (some of which I didn’t use), it was still less than $50k. More remarkably still, for around a mere $40k, the R/T Scat Pack model offers the same engine but it’s stripped of frippery in much the same way as the Core of yore.

There are some 2015 cars that can match a Challenger SRT’s straightline performance and some that are faster still, but can they hold 4/5 people and their luggage? If so, they’re more than double the price. Alternatively, use purchase cost as the parameter, and you’ll find some far less capacious GT cars that are slower in a straight line but are apparently quicker at weaving in and out of traffic cones. Ummm… with all due respect to those who set such abilities as their gold standard, so the hell what? Who actually does that? And if you catch their license plate, shouldn’t you report them?

The truth is, the Dodge Challenger SRT remains in an XL muscle-car niche of its own for now, and comfortably embraces real-life driving while also offering 485hp of fun. In terms of charisma per dollar, then, only its outta control Hellcat brother can beat it; to all other cars, the SRT 392 is way out ahead, somewhere near vanishing point.